


10: Pumpkin Carving

by Riddlebird-puff (hobbitpuff)



Series: Gotham - Autumn OTP Challenge [10]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Cemetery visit, Halloween, M/M, Pumpkin carving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-28 00:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbitpuff/pseuds/Riddlebird-puff
Summary: Day 10/31: Pumpkin CarvingEdward, Oswald, & Martin celebrate their first Halloween as a family.Read Series notes for Challenge details.





	10: Pumpkin Carving

**Author's Note:**

> This fic borrows from the tradition of the Day of the Dead or All Saint's Day however is not meant to represent the actual sacred holiday. No disrespect is meant.

Edward handed Martin a smaller rutabaga from the pile that he had already scooped out for carving. Then he handed the boy a thin carving saw for his smaller hands. They both sat at the dining room table. 

 

“Remember Martin, these are meant to scare off the evil spirits that will be out tonight,” he told the boy. “So let's make them extremely frightening,” he made a silly face causing the boy to giggle. 

 

Martin started writing on his tablet: ‘Papa says there's no such thing as ghosts.’ 

 

“The only spirits your father believes in are the ones in his bar,” he chuckled. “But today is Halloween and the veil to the spirit’s world will be at its thinnest at midnight tonight.” 

 

Martin frowned and started to write something else: ‘What if they break out?’ 

 

“These jack o’lanterns will keep them back,” Edward took up one of the larger gourds he had picked up from the market earlier today, it was green with a topknot. He picked up the larger carving saw and started carving thin eyes on the face. “And the light will show us our way.” 

 

Martin nodded and quickly wrote: ‘We have to save one for Papa.’ 

 

“This one reminds me of a penguin,” he showed the boy a short butternut squash with a heavy bottom. “What do you think?” 

 

Martin gave Ed the ‘Ok’ sign.

 

Edward looked at the clock, Oswald was running late but he hadn't called yet so hopefully that meant he was on the way home. He began to carve sharp teeth on his jack o’lantern. And he finished it off with an upside down triangle nose. He grabbed the next one and started carving.

 

Oswald came home as Edward was starting on his third jack o'lantern, Martin was still on his first. “Sorry I'm late,” he ruffled Martin’s hair. “Jerome decided to start a Halloween party at the Lounge and the good Captain James Gordon with his trusty steed Harvey had to break it up.” 

 

“Was there trouble?” Ed asked him. 

 

“Nothing I couldn't handle,” he glanced down at the boy, they would talk about the problem with Jerome when Martin went to bed. “But what is all this? When you said you would be carving jack o'lanterns tonight, I thought you meant pumpkins, Ed. I should've realized, you never do things the way other people do, do you?” 

 

“Did you know the first jack o'lanterns were not carved from pumpkins at all? In the old countries, they used radishes and squash,” Ed grinned. “Isn't that neat?”

 

“It's grotesque anyway,” he picked up the radish Ed had just finished and made a face of disgust. “This looks just like a shrunken head I found in a curiosity shop a couple of years ago.” 

 

“I've always wanted to shrink a head, it's such a fascinating process, first they-.” 

 

“Ed, please,” Oswald put the radish down and put his hands over Martin's ears. “Not in front of Martin.” He put his hands down. 

 

Martin started to write: ‘They're to scare off the evil spirits.’

 

“The shrunken heads?” Oswald asked confused at the turn.  

 

Martin shook his head and showed him the radish, he pointed at it. 

 

“You know there's no such thing as spirits, Martin,” he turned accusingly at Edward. “What sort of nonsense have you been filling the boy’s head with?” 

 

Edward sighed. “Tonight is not only Halloween, it is also the start of All Soul’s Day, otherwise known as, the Day of the Dead, or the Day of Remembrance. And I thought… that is, you told us that your mother was Hungarian and I thought you might like to pass her traditions to Martin.” 

 

Oswald sniffed. “What is that smell? Is that- is that my mother's goulash?” 

 

“I thought we might bring some of her goulash with us when we go visit her tonight.” 

 

Martin showed Oswald what he had written: ‘We're going to visit Grandma Gertrud.’

 

“I think… she would like that,” Oswald smiled at Edward and hugged Martin. 

 

Martin pushed away and started writing: ‘We left one for you.’ He held out the butternut squash to Oswald. 

 

Oswald took it and looked down at Edward. “Is this squash supposed to resemble someone, my love?” he smirked. 

 

“No, of course not,” he winked at Martin, and the boy giggled. 

 

-

 

Oswald held the ridiculous squash in front of him and led the way towards his mother's grave. With his other hand he held Martin’s. And Edward brought up the rear with the pot of his mother's goulash. He was surprised to see they were not the only after hours visitors to the cemetery but no one paid them any mind. 

 

He placed the jack o’lantern on his mother's headstone and helped Martin put his next to it. Edward left his on the other side of Oswald’s. 

 

“Mother, this is Ed, he is the one who came and left you lilies while I was… unable to come myself,” Oswald felt foolish trying to keep from his mother that he had been in Arkham Asylum. “And he's… well, he's foolish, and ridiculous, and he's also the man I have fallen in love with. So more the fool I, I guess.” 

 

Edward stepped forward. “Um… hello again, Ms Kapelput,” he waved awkwardly. 

 

“And this young man is Martin,” Oswald held the boy in front of him. “Martin is… he's my son. Which I guess would make him your grandson.” 

 

Martin held up his tablet: ‘Hello, grandmother Gertrud.’ 

 

Oswald wiped away a tear. 

 

“We brought you a pot of your goulash, Ms Kapelput,” Ed lifted the pot in his hands and sat it in front of the tombstone. “I'm sure it isn't as good as yours, but we thought you might like a taste of home.” 

 

Martin tugged on Oswald’s coat and showed him the tablet: ‘Papa I'm hungry.’ 

 

“My mother always said her goulash tastes best with company,” Oswald smiled. “I'm sure she would want us to join her.” 

 

Edward folded out the blanket he had thought to bring and they sat. Oswald lifted the lid off the pot and handed Martin the ladle first. Edward put his arms around his waist behind him. “I hope you don't mind that we did this-.”

 

Oswald put his hand over his mouth. “Thank you, Ed,” he kissed him on the cheek. 

 

For the first time since his mother died he felt like he had a family again, and he had Ed and Martin to thank for that. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt broke my streak and almost ended the challenge! But now that I'm done with it, I'm glad I was patient!


End file.
